Why Solar Lights Stops Working At Night
As the sun sets, the solar lights rely on the battery to power the light. Most solar lights have a sensor that detects when it is dark and turns off the light. The problem with solar lights lies in the battery. Batteries will slowly lose their charge over time and eventually will not be able to power the light for an entire night. Solar lights also rely on having a clear line of sight to the sun. If there are trees or buildings blocking the sunlight during the day, then the solar lights will not be able to charge properly and will not work at night.
The Solar Light Is Not Receiving Direct Sunlight
Due to the fact that solar lights work based on the light they receive from the sun it is immensely important that they receive a plentiful amount and are in a position where the sun light reaches them without any obstruction.
This means any shade or coverings that can cause the solar light to not get enough sunlight will result in the solar light not working or will cause a very dime light.
Solar Street Light Not Working
If there is no problem with the battery, you can check if there is a problem with the solar panel. In case of normal operation, check for voltage and current output.
If there is no problem with the battery, you can check if there is a problem with the solar panel. In case of normal operation, check for voltage and current output. If not, the solar panel is damaged and needs to be replaced with a new one. Simulate darkness .
In short, the failure of solar street lights is closely related to the components of the entire system. If the light comes on, then your sensor is OK, if not, then it’s the batteries or the sensor needs to be repaired. If solar lights don’t work at night, it’s very likely that the light sensor is the problem. In addition, you can simply cover or twist the solar panel away from the light source and you’ll be fine.
The main function of the charge and discharge controller is to control the lighting and correlation of street lights while protecting the battery and extending the battery life. Interestingly, solar panels do not work well around glass, as the glass reflects sunlight away from the panels, reducing sunlight consumption. Sometimes, during extreme weather conditions, there may not be enough sunlight to charge the battery, so the solar lights will stop working. Check if there are trees, fences, electrical cables, or light poles above or next to the solar street light that affect sunlight.
References
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Clean The Solar Panel
The performance of your solar panel might dip over time because of dust and dirt buildup on its surface. This is a common problem for those living near busy roads, and their panel is installed in a dusty spot.
A dirty panel can also impact the amount of charge received by the solar light batteries. To make sure it works to its full potential, give the panel a quick wipe using a damp cloth every now and then.
We suggest cleaning your panel at least twice four times a week to increase its efficiency. Its also essential to keep your solar light in a safe place when not in use so that it lasts for an extended period.
They Dont Get Enough Sunlight Indoors
Indoor solar lights are usually placed near windows to charge because the sun hits window panes. However, it might not be placed good enough to receive direct sunlight thats why they stay on during the day.
The solutions are, again, a no-brainer.
Keep the windows and curtains open
If you found out that its not charging, try opening the windows or curtains. Even though the window is transparent and the sun can get through easily, its still more efficient when the panels get sunlight directly without any obstructions.
Change the location of your solar light
If the previous solution didnt work, put them outside to charge. Then bring them back in if you need them.
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Nearby Light Sources At Night
As mentioned before, solar lights have sensors that detect the light, which is the component responsible for automatically switching on the light at night.
When these sensors detect no lights they give the order for the bulb to work.
Here comes the problem, having other nearby light sources at night will fool the sensors making them think we are still in the morning.
As a result, the sensors wont allow the lights to function and your solar lights will not work.
Solution 1: Adjust the Lux Sensor Sensitivity
The Lux sensor is another photocell that determines how dark it has to be outside before activating the light.
This can be really helpful, especially if there are other sources of light like neighbors lamps tricking your solar light into thinking that its still daytime, which will prevent your solar lights from working.
How to adjust solar light Lux sensor?
Well, Lux sensors will have a picture of the sun and the moon.
- Sun: Turning the knob towards the sun picture means that your lights should work when its brighter outside
- Moon: Turning the knob towards the moon picture means that your light should work when its darker outside
Now, all you need to do is to adjust the sensitivity by fully turning the knob towards the moon picture and then turn it slowly towards the sun picture till the light works.
Solution 2: Eliminate Competition
Make sure there are no other light sources such as street lights, neighbors lights, or even other solar bulbs around your solar light.
Ensure Your Solar Light Getting Direct Sunlight
If solar panel not getting the required sun light than the LED wont work or cant produce the brightest light as you would have expected.
Make sure you place your light at a location where it gets direct sun light. Normally a solar light should get 4-5 hours daily direct sun light to effectively charge the batteries and shine brightly during night hours.
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Possible Solutions For Your Broken Outdoor Solar Light
Using outdoor solar lighting as an alternative to gas and electric lighting is a great way to decrease your electric bill and carbon footprint. As an additional benefit, after installation, they are virtually maintenance free. Although, there are instances where your outdoor solar lamp or solar lamp post could stop working.
Solar Panel Wiring Is Wet
Dont just start opening things or pulling on wires if you suspect your solar light wiring is damaged. This can be dangerous! Contacting an electrician or expert is the best option unless you have some knowledge.
If you prefer doing it yourself, you can carefully open the panel and check for water that shouldnt be there. Doing this will help you see if the wiring needs to be replaced.
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Check The Light Sensor
The first thing you must do when your solar light turns on during the day is to turn it off and check the sensor. If you notice cracks on the sensor, the solution is apparent you must replace it with a new one.
However, if you cannot see a visible fault in the sensor, still replace it with a new one and see if that works for you. Sometimes, a dirty sensor might be the problem.
Dissemble the solar light, take out the light sensor, clean it with a damp washcloth, dry it, and reassemble the light again to see if that does the trick.
How To Fix Solar Lights That Dont Turn On
Now that you know the common possible reasons why solar lights would not turn on at night, you can now think of ways to fix them so they will function properly again.
Change the batteries
If you find that the batteries of the solar lights can no longer hold a significant amount of charge, you should replace them with brand new ones. If it has been more than two years since you bought the solar outdoor lights in your yard, it is best to change all their batteries at once.
When the batteries of one or two of your solar lights have failed then the rest of the lightsâ batteries will most likely follow soon. Save yourself from all those extra trips to the hardware store and just buy enough batteries for all of your solar lights at once.
Place the lights in the right area
If the solar panels are in a shaded area, they will not be able to absorb enough solar energy to recharge the batteries. You need to remove them from their current installation and replace them somewhere where they can get at least six hours of direct sunlight. This will ensure that they will be getting enough sun to recharge their batteries completely.
You should also avoid placing the lights where they can be illuminated with artificial light, like when they are placed too near to the house that the light from the porch will make the light sensors âthinkâ that it is still daytime. Place them in an area where no bright lights can reach them.
Clean the solar panels every once in a while
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Solar Light Sensor Is Acting Up
Solar panels have many components and cant turn on without sensors that tell them to. Your lights may have a faulty sensor, or their wiring can be flawed.
Youll know this is the problem if your lights dont turn on during the day or night. It may even stay dim during the day and not brighten up when it is dark.
Why Are My Solar Lights Not Working At Night
There are several reasons why your solar lights may not be working at night. The most common reason is that the rechargeable batteries are not charged. This can happen if the sun has been obscured by clouds during the day, or if the lights have been turned off for an extended period of time.
Other possible reasons include malfunctioning solar panels or a faulty lightbulb. If you troubleshoot the issue and still cant get your solar lights to work, its best to contact the manufacturer for assistance.
If youve been having problems with your solar lights not turning on at night, youre not alone. A lot of people have this issue, and it can be frustrating when your lights dont work like theyre supposed to.
In this blog post, we will discuss 7 possible causes for why your solar lights arent working properly. We will also provide solutions so that you can get your outdoor solar lights up and running again!
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Light Duration Setting Takes Too Long To Switch Off
Some solar light brands have this kind of setting or knob. It basically commands the solar light to remain on after the sensor triggers the light to switch off. when the light sensors are tripped. This ranges from ten seconds to, at most, an hour.
Readjust the Light Duration Setting
Try readjusting this setting to a minute. Then test it again if the solar light can switch off automatically by itself.
If none of these readjustment methods have worked, this means youre facing a more serious issue with your faulty solar lights.
Not Enough Power From Faulty Or Old Batteries
If you ask anyone with solar lights they will tell you that at some point their batteries have died. Especially if the person is using cheap or affordable solar panel kits, one of the most common things that will cause a power shortage is low quality batteries.
Batteries are like any other battery powered device all can be effected by extreme temperatures both hot and cold.
If there is a problem with the wiring to the lights, you may still be able to fix it by replacing the batteries with better quality ones. This is of course only if your panels are actually producing charge from their solar cell.
Using new batteries can sometimes revive old solar lights as well as new ones that have stopped working. New batteries are good but they also need to be charged correctly.
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Cover The Solar Panel
Solar lights remain off during the day as theyre busy converting the sunlight into energy to be stored in their rechargeable batteries. And at night, the energy is then used to power the lights.
But if your light doesnt come on well after dusk, there might be some other light source hitting the panel, tricking it into thinking its still daylight. Try covering the panel to trick the light into thinking its night if it comes on, you know the problem.
Why Do My Solar Lights Not Work
If your solar light frequently turns on during the daytime or malfunctions, it might be that the sensor is blocked, faulty or its sensitivity setting is high.
The sensor is a crucial part of your solar light. It senses the light being received by the panels and tells it to stop working when its night time. So its the immediate solar light part to protect or check when finding out why it comes on during the day.
But if theres nothing wrong with the sensor, perhaps its the battery, controller, solar panel or the circuit wiring.
These are just the common assumptions about this issue, but there can be a lot more than that.
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Can You Use Regular Aa Batteries On Solar Lights
Solar lights absorb energy from the sun to convert it to electrical energy. These electrical energies are stored in a battery for future use. However, one concern of many homeowners is if they can use regular AA batteries to power up solar lights.
Solar lights can use regular batteries only for a short period. Generally, they cannot use regular batteries because such kinds are disposable. Since they are not rechargeable, using them to store energy on solar lights can only damage the whole unit.
Rechargeable lithium-ion or lithium-iron phosphate batteries can be used for solar lights. For smaller solar lights, you can use a nickel metal hydride battery.
You Solar Lights Arent Getting Enough Direct Sunlight
Needless to say, solar lights need sunlight to operate and one of the main reasons why your light is not working is because it receives less than sufficient sunlight.
If your solar lights arent getting enough sunlight, then it wont be able to fully charge the batteries and as a result, your lights will stop working.
Luckily, in this section, we will provide you with some tips and tricks and show you how to make your solar lights last longer.
1. Place your Solar Lights in a Sunny Spot
Make sure there are no large trees or buildings around your solar light, as they will cast shade preventing your solar panels from receiving sufficient sunlight.
Dont get me wrong, solar lights will still charge in shade. In fact, you can even charge them using artificial lights.
However, the less direct sunlight they get, the less efficient they will be and the shorter your lights will last at night.
Therefore, if your solar panels are shaded during any period of the day, especially midday, its highly advised to reposition your solar lights.
2. Adjust your Solar Panels Angle
Many dont know this trick, but in fact, your solar panels angle is very important.
The reason behind that is the sun can get covered by many objects such as clouds, rain, or fog, especially in winter when sunlight is scarce.
So what is the best angle for solar lights?
Well, the best solar panel angle depends on your geographical location.
3. West is the Way to Go
Why should your solar light panel face west?
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Your Solar Light Is Not Getting Enough Direct Sunlight
Do outdoor solar lights need to be in direct sunlight? The answer is YES! Majority of Gama Sonic Solar light fixtures are designed to operate automatically from dusk-to-dawn after receiving a full solar charge. To get full usage out of your solar powered lamp, the solar panel must be placed in the direct sun. As a rule of thumb, for Gama Sonics typical solar wall lights and solar post lights, for every hour of sunlight, you will receive 2-3 hours of illumination. If you notice that your solar light is not staying on for 8-12 hours , please consider moving the solar light to a sunnier spot. Another alternative is to switch the solar lamp to the low/economy mode . By doing this, you will receive a slightly dimmer illumination for longer duration.
Your Solar Light Is Experiencing Water Or Precipitation Buildup
Each Gama Sonic solar light fixture is designed with the utmost care and precision. We want to earn your business by creating outdoor solar light fixtures that not only meet your expectations but exceed them. All of Gama Sonic solar lights are weather resistant and water resistant. It is possible but unlikely that water or residue may build up inside the solar lamp head where all the internal wiring is located, and you can check to see if the issue is internal by detaching the lamp head from either the post, wall or pier mount by unscrewing the metal or resin plate and detaching the plate from the lamp head. Unfortunately, there is no way to openly identify what is causing the issue from there, but if you notice any liquid or frayed wires please contact customer support at 1-800-835-4113 or by email at [email protected]
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